Tubular calendar



Aug. 26, 1969 l E. B. ARNETT TUBULAR CLENDAR Filed May l1, 1967 INVENTOR ERNEST BAR/WIRD JR/V577' 3,462,353 Patented Aug. 26, i969 3,462,358 TUBULAR CALENDAR Ernest Barnard Arnett, 57 E. Cedar, Chicago, lll. 60611 Fiied May l1, 1967, Ser. No. 638,709 lnt. Ci. @69d 3/06; BiSk 29/14 ILS. Cl. l0-114 3 Claims ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to calendars and more particularly to a perpetual calendar arranged in tubular form as an independent pocket instrument or as part of a writing instrument such as a mechanical pencil or ball point pen.

Calendars commonly known as perpetual calendars are old and well known, having heretofore been produced in a variety of forms. However, these calendars have never enjoyed great popularity because of the disadvantageous features invariably found therein. For example, the flat or slide-rule type calendars were not at all perpetual, but were instead limited to use for a fixed number of years. Also, they were difficult and confusing to use, frequently requiring a number of steps and manipulations including the deciphering of a complex key or code.

Prior perpetual calendars of the tubular type were objectionable primarily because they exposed for inspection only one complete month at any given time. As a result, day to day use of such a device required that the same be changed or reset once every month. Moreover, the user could not look backward or ahead to a different month than the single one exposed. In addition, the structures often were complicated by intricate and bulky indicator devices which were expensive and made the associated writing instrument heavy and uncomfortable to write with.

It is therefore an important object of this invention to provide a perpetual calendar which overcomes all of the described disadvantages.

Another object is to aiford a perpetual calendar of the character described arranged in tubular form whereby the same may be made a a separate pocket instrument or as part of a writing instrument such as a ball point pen or mechanical pencil.

A further object is to provide a tubular calendar of the character described in which a complete calendar year is exposed for viewing at all times. A related object is to provide such a calendar which requires changing or re-setting only once per year when used as a current daily calendar.

Still another object is to afford a tubular calendar of the character described which is truly perpetual and may be used for any number of years.

Yet another object is to provide a tubular calendar of the character described having a simple indicator which is capable of simultaneously functioning as a pocket clip for the instrument with which the calendar is associated.

Still a further object is to afford a tubular calendar of the character described which adds little, if any, weight or size to the instrument with which it is associated and does not interefere with the normal use of the instrument.

Yet a further object is to provide a tubular calendar of the character described which is extremely inexpensive to fabricate and yet is simple to use, durable and most efficient for the purposes intended.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which Will appear as the description proceeds, the invention cornprises generally a tubular member having imprinted or otherwise positioned thereon a complete twelve month year including the names of the months and the numbers of the days. The numbers begin with March l and end with February 2S or 29 and are helically arranged around the tubular member to provide seven longitudinal columns of numbers. A rotatable or indexable ferrule or indicator band is slidably and removably positioned on the tubular member. Imprinted or otherwise positioned around the indicator band are letters representing the seven days of the week, said letters being spaced to cooperate and align with the seven columns of numbers. The indicator band likewise has means permitting the Same to function as a pocket clip.

For the purpose of facilitating an understanding of my invention, I have illustrated in the accompanying drawings a preferred embodiment thereof, from an inspection of which, when considered in connection with the following description, my invention, its mode of construction, assembly and operation, and many of its advantages should be readily understood and appreciated.

Referring to the drawings in which the same characters of reference are employed to indicate corresponding or similar parts throughout the several figures of the drawings:

FIG. l is an elevational view of a tubular calendar ernbodying the principles of the invention and showing the same incorporated in a writing instrument;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary detail view;

FIG. 3 is a developed view of the twelve month system of numerals and months;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the combination indicator ring-pocket clip member; and

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the plane of line 5 5 in FIG. l and viewed in the direction indicated.

Turning with greater particularity to the various figures of the drawings, it will be seen that the reference numeral lil indicates generally a pocket type writing instrument. In the embodiment illustrated, the instrument l@ comprises a ball point pen, although the same might likewise comprise a mechanical pencil or an independent pocket instrument without writing means. As indicated in FIG. 5, the pen l@ is heptagonal in section and has seven outer sides lfor reasons which will become apparent as the description proceeds.

In FIG. 3 there is illustrated in flat form a novel system of numbers and letters 15 which is associated with the pen 10. The system l5 comprises a full twelve month calendar in which the months are arranged continuously and consecutively longitudinally. The letters of the months are likewise included alongside the appropriate single digit numbers beginning with the first of each month. The system 15 begins with March l .and ends with February 28. For the event of a leap year, there is shown after February 28 an arbitrary symbol 16 which symbolizes February 29. The numbers are arranged in seven longitudinal rows I8 and it will thus be observed that there are 5l seven numbered transverse rows 20 and two partial transverse rows Z2 and 24 at opposite ends ofthe system.

It is important to note that the transverse rows 2G, 22 and 24 are slightly inclined to the horizontal as indicated.

Also, the longitudinal rows 18 are spaced so that they will coincide with the seven faces of the pen 1() when applied thereto. Accordingly, when the system 15 is applied to the pen 10, the seventh longitudinal column 18 (counting from the left in FIG. 3) is positioned immediately in front of the first column 18 of the next adjacent transverse row 20 or 24. Thus, for example, the notation C4 is positioned before the notation H5 but slightly angled therebelow. The result is a twelve month calendar 25, minus the days of the week, in which the numbers and months are arranged in a continuous helix along the longitudinal axis of the pen 10.

The calendar 25 may be applied to the pen 10 by any desired known means such as printing, molding, etching, engraving, or the like. Alternatively, the system 15 may be imprinted on a sheet of suitable flexible material, such :as plastics, papers or metals, which sheet is then conformed around the pen 16 and adhered or otherwise permanently attached thereto.

Cooperating with the calendar 25 is a ferrule or indicator band 30. The indicator band 30 comprises a sevensided ring 32 having letters 34 indicating the days of the week positioned on its sides. The ring 32 is slidably mounted on the pen 10 and is dimensioned to provide a nice frictional tit therebetween. It will thus be appreciated that the ring 32 may be indexed with relation to the seven sides of the pen by removing the ring and then replacing it with the letters 34 aligned with the vertical columns 18 in the particular relationship desired.

A clip member 36 projects outwardly and downwardly from the ring 32. The clip member 36 projects from the corner edge between a pair of ring sides and is preferably of thin, blade-like construction as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. When the band 30 is operationally positioned on the pen 10, the clip member 36 cooperates with the pen to afford a pocket clip in the well-known manner. At the same time, the relative position and blade-like construction of the clip member 36 does not in any way obscure any of the indicia on the pen or ring 32. It is also desirable that the clip member 36 be situated between Saturday and Sunday as illustrated, thereby conveniently indicating the end of one week and the beginning of another on opposites sides thereof.

Operation of the instrument 10 may now be best understood by referring to FIGS. 1 and 3 of the drawings. In order to use the instrument as a day-to-day calendar, the band 30 is indexed so that any weekday is aligned with a known date. Thus, for example, in year 1966, June was a Sunday so that the band is indexed to align Sunday with that date. The calendar will now indicate at a mere glance any date from Mar. 1, 1966 to Feb. 28, 1967. If desired, the band 30 may of course be slid along the instrument to more closely identify the date or dates being examined. In any case, the calendar is useable, without further change, for the full calendar year from March 1 to February 28. On Feb. 28, 1967, it is necessary only to index the band 30 one column 18 clockwise whereupon the calendar is then effective, without further change until Feb. 29, 1968. On the latter leap year date, the band 30 need only be indexed two columns clockwise to render the calendar effective for the ensuing year.

In like manner, the instrument may be used to indicate dates in any year past or in the future. In such case it is necessary to know only one reference date for the given year. After indexing the band 30 as above described to the said reference date, the calendar is then effective for the entire year in question.

From the foregoing description and drawings, it should be apparent that I have provided a novel tubular calendar which may be used with only one adjustment per year, as a day-to-day or perpetual calendar. The calendar may comprise a separate pocket instrument or part of a writing instrument and in the latter case, use of the writing instrument is in no way impaired. The indexable indicator band functions also as a clip member for convenience of carriage.

Although the instrument 10 has been described herein as heptagonal in section, it will of course be appreciated that the same may likewise be round, whereupon the band 30 will be of complementary annular configuration. In such case, indexing of the band 3l) may be accomplished without removing the same from the instrument as will be readily understood. Also, the band 30 may comprise an open ring of sufliciently resilient material instead of the closed ring illustrated. If desired, the dates of adjacent months may be shown in differing or contrasting colors to facilitate visual observation.

Moreover, it will be understood that the calendar of the invention need not necessarily comprise a pocket instrument. In its broadest sense, the invention envisions the novel perpetual calendar, comprising the helically arranged date columns and the cooperating indexable band, irrespective of the size or particular environment into which the calendar is incorporated. Thus, for example, the calendar might take the form of a free standing device with a base, such as a desk top instrument or an even larger piece of floor furniture. In any of the forms described and suggested, the principle of operation is the same.

It is believed that my invention, its mode of construction and assembly, and many of its advantages should be readily understood from the foregoing without further description, and it should also be manifest that while a preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described for illustrative purposes, the structural details are nevertheless capable of wide variation within the purview of my invention as detined in the appended claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is: ber,

1. A calendar comprising an elongated body member, said body member having thereon a complete calendar year in which the dates are arranged in a continuous helix and seven longitudinal columns, and

an indicator band mounted on said body member and slideable longitudinally thereon,

said band having thereon indicia indicating the seven days of the week and arranged to cooperate with said longitudinal columns,

said band being indexable relative to said body member whereby alignment of one of said indicia with a reference date in one of said longitudinal columns renders said calendar effective for a complete calendar year.

2. The calendar of claim 1 in which said body has additionally thereon characters indicating the twelve months of the year and positioned in chronological longitudinal sequence.

3. The calendar of claim 2 in which the first date of the helix is March 1 and the last date is February 28.

4. The calendar of claim 3 in which said body has additionally thereon a mark following February 28, said mark symbolizing the date of February 29 during a leap year.

5. The calendar of claim 1 in which a clip member projects from said band for retaining said calendar in a clothing pocket or the like.

6. The calendar of claim 5 in which said clip member is blade-like in structure and positioned between a pair of said indicia,

said clip member extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of said body member so that said dates and characters are not obstructed thereby.

7. The calendar of claim 1 in which said body member is heptagonal in section,

said longitudinal columns being positioned on the seven faces of said body member, and

said band is of complementary heptagonal configuration and is removably mounted on said body member whereby said band may be indexed with relation to said body member faces.

8. The calendar of claim 1 in which said body member is circular in section, and

said band is of complementary annular configuration whereby the same may be positioned and frictionally retained in any desired relationship of said characters and logitudinal columns.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 423,234 3/1890 Faust 40-335 529,979 11/ 1894 Vawter 40-109 FOREIGN PATENTS 10/1911 France.

EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner 10 W. J. CONTRERAS, Assistant Examiner U.S. C1. X.R. 

